Folding street-wrench.



H. A. KNAUFF.

FOLDING STREET WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.27, 1915.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

INZETQRI ilillill'l'llllll' Q WITNESSES j, w. Ate/4W WWW El TE %TTE%HARRY A. KNAUFF, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING STREET-WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 25, 19116.

Application filed January 27, 1915. Serial No. 4,727.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. KNAUFF, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsbur h, in the county of Allegheny and Stateo-fiennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Folding Street-\Vrench,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in plumbers street wrenches used tooperate street stop cocks or valves sunk below the surface of the streetat the bottom of long narrow boxes, and the object is to furnish afolding wrench which may be carried in a small space avoiding thenecessity of carrying the usual long handled wrench. I attain thisobject by the wrench illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a view of the Wrench extended. Fig. 2 is a view of thewrench foldedyand Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the wrenchshowing the joint or hinge which connects the rod members and thesliding sleeve or box which drops down over the joint When the wrench isin use. The joint or hinge member being of greater cross section thanone of its connecting rod members forms a shoulder for support of thesleeve when the wrench is extended.

As shown by Fig. 2 the wrench consists of three rod members of steel, 2,2, 2, joined together by hinge members, 3, 3, which hinge members allowthe rod members When folded to lie parallel and somewhat separated. Eachhinge or joint is provided with a sliding sleeve 4, which drops downover the hinge when the "Wrench is unfolded and straightened andprotects the members from twisting, relieves the hinge from strain andmakes the wrench practically one solid piece. The sleeve 4 is shown indetail in Fig. 3.

Fig. 1 shows the wrench ready to use. The lower end has a U-shaped jaw 5which fits over the top of the stop cook or valve at the bottom of thestreet box. The upper end has a square socket 6 to remove the screw fromthe surface box.

I am aware that prior to my invention street wrenches consisting of onelong piece have been made; but

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a plurality'of rod membersconnected by a hinge member, one of said rod members being of less crosssectional area than the hinge member, a sleeve member surrounding thejoined contiguous ends of the rod members and hinge member, said sleevemember having internal means of support on the hinge member.

2. In a device of the character described, a plurality of rod membersconnected by a hinge member, a sleeve member surrounding the joinedcontiguous ends of the rod members and hinge member, said hinge memberhaving a shouldered face, and said sleeve member having an internal stopadapted to engage said face of the hinge member.

HARRY A. KNAUFF. Witnesses:

B. B. PICKARD, MYRTLE B. HENDERSON.

